St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister and others in her administration won't be trekking to the nation's capital next year for the annual Mardi Gras celebration. After all, many of the elected officials and big wigs in Washington, D.C., will be in New Orleans that week for Super Bowl XLVII.

St. Tammany Parish government complex on Koop Drive north of Mandeville.Robert Rhoden, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

St. Tammany officials have long touted the benefits of attending the Washington Mardi Gras, saying it's an invaluable opportunity to meet during the week with the Louisiana Congressional delegation, business leaders and officials from numerous federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The group from St. Tammany does not stay for the weekend's parties, parish government spokesman Ronnie Simpson said. In 2013, the group will stay home -- and save some money, he said.

Brister and four others from parish government went to Washington for the event this year, Simpson said, noting that it was a smaller group than in previous years. The cost was about $20,000.

Incoming assessor speaks to Lacombe group

Incoming Assessor Louis Fitzmorris made an appearance before the Concerned Citizens of Lacombe group this week, vowing to bring "fairness, efficiency and customer service" to the oft-maligned agency.

But right off the bat, he made it clear to the crowd in the John Davis Community Center that he did not have anything to do with this year's property tax assessments, which led to nearly 3,000 citizens filing appeals with current Assessor Patricia Schwarz Core's office and about 1,000 of those also filing appeals to the St. Tammany Parish Council. Fitzmorris, currently mayor of Abita Springs, defeated the longtime incumbent in the fall of 2011 and takes office Jan. 1.

He told citizens that there is something wrong with a system that doubles or triples citizens' tax bills and leads to so many appeals being filed. "I'm going to be fair about it," he said.

Louis FitzmorrisStaff archive

Fitzmorris said he has been preparing to become assessor by interviewing agency employees and seeking input from homeowners, those in the real estate industry, appraisers and others. He said he and Abita Springs Alderman Troy Dugas, who will serve as his chief deputy assessor, have also been taking assessor courses to prepare for their new roles.

Regarding the current staff at the agency, Fitzmorris said, "There's good employees in there ... they just need leadership and direction."

He said his plans for the agency include creating consistency in the way property is assessed, and taking better advantage of technology, such as mapping, to improve the website and provide citizens with more information.

Creation of an inspector general's position to serve as a watchdog over public agencies in St. Tammany Parish, reducing the size of the 14-member Parish Council and placing term limits on the council are among the charter amendments the group would like to see placed on a ballot. To do so, the group would have to get 20 percent of the parish's registered voters to sign a petition.

Asked for comment on the group's efforts, Parish President Pat Brister said in a statement: "This is how the Charter was designed. Hearing from citizens about how they want their government to work.

"Government is always better when citizens have input into the process, and this is a great way for any organization to hear from the public about how they feel about certain issues. We look forward to the cordial debate about these proposals."

Councilmen update constituents in Mandeville

A Mandeville community meeting Thursday night for residents of the city's 1st District drew about a dozen citizens who received updates on a myriad of projects and issues from two City Council members.

Councilmen Rick Danielson and David Ellis brought the audience up to date on the council's effort to form a financial oversight committee to help with the budget process, the completion West Causeway Approach bike and pedestrian bridge, and the progress of a proposed medical facility on Louisiana 22, among other issues. The meeting was designed to allow residents to get information on how the local government works and to give the elected officials a chance to gather input from constituents. The 1st District generally includes incorporated areas west of U.S. 190.

Danielson, an at-large representative, told the audience that the council will hold a special meeting Monday night to select the citizen representatives to the financial oversight committee, which is to be made up of members with finance or accounting expertise.

Ellis, who represents the 1st District on the council, said the city has been studying ways to link the West Causeway Approach path and the new bridge over Bayou Chinchuba to other sections of Mandeville.

And, the council members outlined a developer's plan to build a medical facility on a vacant tract of land on Louisiana 22 west of the West Approach. The land was previously earmarked for a large service station, but Danielson said the developers of that project backed off when city officials demanded that the station fit into the aesthetic code of Mandeville. He said the more palatable medical complex is now going through the permitting and approval process.

Both council members vowed to continue to reach out to constituents to keep them informed and get them more involved in their local government. Danielson said the council is looking into making improvements to its council chambers at City Hall and to have meetings televised on the local cable access channel in an effort to bring government closer to the people.